Ford continues SuperVan tradition with 1050kW van on show at Bathurst

Bathurst’s Mount Panorama circuit becomes the next stop on SuperVan 4’s world tour, following a class win at the Pike’s Peak hillclimb and debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2022.

The 1050kW four-wheel drive electric van – now in '4.2' guise – has undergone significant revisions since its global debut, shedding 400kg and wearing an enhanced aero package that generates two tonnes of downforce at 240km/h.

French Endurance racer Romain Dumas will pilot it around the mountain on demonstration laps, marking the first outing of any SuperVan in Australia.

9

Punters will be able to see the van at both the Bathurst 12 Hour GT3 event (16-18 February) and the Thrifty 500 (23-25 February) Supercars season opener.

“Driving SuperVan 4.2 is always a huge privilege and after the successful outing at Pikes Peak, I am delighted that the Ford Performance team keeps finding new and exciting ways to push the envelope.

“For any racing driver, Bathurst is a unique and exhilarating challenge and I can’t wait to give the Australian fans a show they will hopefully never forget,” said Dumas. The SuperVan 4.2 will also be displayed in the paddock.

9

For those not up-to-date on the SuperVan tradition, since 1971 it’s been a motorsports marketing exercise, initially promoting the capability of the Transit van but now a pseudo testbed for Ford’s motorsports operations.

The original had the Ford GT40’s 4.2-litre V8 which developed 400 hp (294kW) mounted mid-ship, suspension and braking modifications.

9

Over the years, Ford’s SuperVan evolved with the second instalment hitting 280km/h on the Silverstone circuit thanks to its Cosworth DF2 V8.

In 1994, it went under heavy reengineering to fit Cosorth’s 'HB' V8 and become the SuperVan 3, perhaps the most iconic shape of all, that completed demonstration laps until 2001.

9

Ford’s latest SuperVan is arguably the most important, effectively a testbed for electric racecars on a world stage.

Since its launch, the recipe has been refined, with the number of motors reduced from four to three and the insertion of higher-performance lithium-polymer pouch cell batteries from STARD.

“SuperVan 4.2 will take on the challenge of Mount Panorama in the same configuration it raced in at Pikes Peak – as the ultimate expression of what is possible with electric performance and Ford’s EV technology,” said global director Ford Performance Motorsports Mark Rushbrook.